Car-coupling



(No Model.)

B. I. CLARK.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 246,463. Patented Aug. 30,1881.

' WITNESSES v ATTORNEYS PATENT OFFICE.

ERASTIIS J. CLARK, OF ST. JOSEPH, ILLINOIS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 246,463, dated August 30, 1881. Application filed March 26, 1381. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, E. J. CLARK, a citizen of the United States,residentat St. Joseph, in the county of Ohampaign and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a. part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a front view. Fig. 2 is a side view. Fig. 3 is a detail in section.

This invention relates to improvements in car-couplings.

The invention consists in a duplex reversible draw-bar, means for locking the device to prevent coupling, and other details, all as hereinafter set forth.

In the annexed drawings, Ais a car to which the device is attached, the opposing parts at the meeting ends of two cars being duplicate. The draft-timbers are secured, as usual, along the middle length of the car. Between these, at the ends of the car, are secured blocks 0 0. Block O has top and bottom side flanges, c 0, solid rear portion, 0 and front recess, 0

Seated between flanges c 0, held at the rear by bolt (1 and inward by vertical bolts (1' d, are plate springs D D, having a horizontal play. At the inner end of recess 0 is passed the vertical bolt E, which passes through the eyefof a spiral spring, F, located lengthwise ot' the recess.

Secured to the front of block 0, at the front of recess 0 by vertical bolt G, between the free ends of springs D D, and against the spring F, is a bent strap, H, curved horizontally, having its loop h in the recess 0 and its ends h h projecting forward to about on a line with the face of the car, there being in said ends the holes 719, and a little to the rear, in the sides of the strap, the holes 71 I is a flat bar, having straight botton k, projecting noses Z l,haviug front openings, m, vertical holes a n, and pins 19, retrorse horns q at the top, and middle angular projection, r. The horns and projection form oblique seats .9 s, slanting downward toward the ends. This bar has the three transverse holes t t t, the first about the middle, the others one at each side,

toward the ends. This bar is secured between the sides of strap H by pins K and L passing through the registering-holes in said strap and the middle and rear holes of the bar, washers being slipped on the rear bolt. This forms the draw-bar, and as it is duplex, if the end in use should become broken, the pins can be with:

drawn and the bar turned end for end.

The front ends of the sides of the strap are rabbeted on the inside, at a a, where the front pin. comes, and at these points this pin passes on each side of the draw-bar through eyes I l at the ends of a clevis or bail, L, which extends out in front of the draw-bar and has a vertical play. Near its ends this bail has the holes 1 P, in which are inserted the outturned ends of a staple, M, which straddles the draw-bar, and whose looped top m is attached to a rod, N. This rod passes at the top through an elongated guide-loop, n, and has near the bottom a fixed collar, a and above this an encircling spring, m, on top of which is a loose collar, a which catches against the under side of the loop a, when the rod is pulled up and the spring is compressed between the two collars.

P is a transverse shaft, turning in bearings p 1) near the middle of the car and loops at the sides. Between the bearingspp this shaft has a crank, 19, to which the upper end of rod N is attached by a link, f. To one side the shaft P has an arm, 12 to which is jointed a rod, R, extending to the top of the car. As two cars approach, the bail on one strikes the draw-bar of the other, and, riding up the-front of the retrorse horn, falls in behind and is caught. To uncouple, the shaft P is turned, which lifts the bail from engagement. The springs at the rear of the draw-bar cushion it under a concussion, and, while allowing it to turn in going around curves,align it when the train straightens out. The ordinary stirrup, S, can be placed under the draw-bar to help hold it'up.

T T are the bumpers.

When it is desired to keep the bail up, so that the cars may be shunted without coupling, the shaft R is turned until the crank p is thrown past the perpendicular, when the spring or, operating to pull the crank down behind, binds it against the front of the car and keeps it from coming back until a positive force is applied for that purpose.

I claim- 1. A reversible draw-bar having similar D D, spiral spring F, and bent strap H, sub- 10 coupling heads at its ends in combination with stantially as described. and secured to a car, as set forth. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in 2. A swinging coupling device, a vertical presence of two witnesses. rod, and an encircling spring in combination w i with a transverse shaft having a crank at the ERAbTUS CLARK middle, and a link connecting the upper end of Witnesses: the rod to the crank, substantially as described. THEO. MUNGEN,

3. The combination of block C, plate-springs EUGENE D. UARUSI. 

